The wedding will be held outside, at the top of Catoctin Mountain in the High Knob area of Gambrill State Park, just north of Frederick, Maryland (not far from presidential retreat Camp David).

This part is important: Please bring an umbrella, wear shoes suitable for unpaved and possibly damp areas, and wear clothes that you'll be comfortable wearing to sit on old wooden picnic benches, outside.

Also, dress for the weather - which is typically a few degrees cooler at the top of Catoctin than at lower elevations.

What can be expected of the weather? Detailed histories from three nearby locations for October 10 had an average high of about 70; an average low of just under 50; and rainfall of one-tenth of an inch. The record high (in the 1920s) was nearly 90; the record low (in the 1970s) was freezing; the record rainfall was two-and-a-half inches; and one time it snowed a little bit. Basically, it's best to be ready for anything.

Want to check current conditions and short range forecast? See one of these, and subtract a handful of degrees:
¤ Weather Underground: Frederick, Maryland Forecast
¤ weather.com - Local Weather - Frederick, MD
¤ CNN.com - Weather, Frederick, Maryland

If the weather is inclement, the wedding will be held at the "Tea Room"... a rustic stone-and-log building from the 1920s. It's unheated, except for a lovely fireplace. Just a few steps away from the wedding site, this is where the reception will happen in any event.

The ceremony will be unceremonious: a modified Quaker-style wedding, much to our liking. The exchange of vows is accompanied by a period of silence which typically lasts for about an hour... but in this case, probably about half that. Guests are invited to rise and speak briefly on the nature of love, marriage, or just life in general if they feel moved to do so.

Quakers? Quaker wedding? See the following:
About Quakers
A Quaker Wedding

Want to learn more?
The Religious Society of Friends
Sandy Spring Friends Meeting

The bride and some of the attendants will be dressed in informal Renaissance style clothing; primarily in sage and dark green, gray and white. The bride will be wearing green rather than white, but don't avoid that color on her account - she'd be thrilled if everyone wore green. The groom will be wearing a contemporary dark gray suit.

Please ignore the pay box at the entrance to the High Knob area of the park. The fee is already taken care of.